The First
by Angeline-dark
Summary: A hug is sometimes the best medicine. A little piece of Harry, Ron friendship.


Disclaimer: Do I look like J.K. Rowling? No, so sadly they don't belong to me. 

Feedback: Is highly appreciated, please be so kind and review.

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The First

By Angeline

It was the nightmare again. There was blinding green light, someone was screaming, desperate heart wrenching screams and there was laughter. The laughter was what scared him most, it sounded so insane, cruel, as if the person who was laughing couldn't care less about the screams, enjoyed them, needed them. A maniac who would kill without a second thought and would love it. He wanted to run, or hold his hands over his ears to stop hearing it, but he couldn't move, his body wouldn't obey. All he could do was lie there and listen. He wanted the screams and the laughter to stop, but it just kept going on and on until he woke up.  
  
He had had this particular nightmare for as long as he could remember, sometimes just once a week, sometimes not for months, but there were times when he woke every night from it, crying. Sometimes his own screams woke him and he was glad that his cupboard wasn't anywhere near the Dursleys bedroom, because if he would wake them up, it would get really nasty. They didn't care if he had nightmares and it was better not to disturb them, better not to remind them he was there at all, because the less they thought about him, the less time they could spend thinking about new ways to punish him for being an eyesore in their perfect little world, where wizards and wizards' children had no place.  
  
He remembered, the one and only time he had gone to their bedroom after the dream was especially bad, he had been four and had just wanted to be held and told that everything would be better in the morning. He had seen his aunt and uncle do this with Dudley, through the open door of their bedroom, as he was on his way to the bathroom at night.  
  
He had climbed on their bed and snuggled close to aunt Petunia, enjoying her warmth and the comfort it gave him, but when she had felt him beside her, she had woken up and had screamed and shrieked, like he was something dirty and nasty. Uncle Vernon who had been woken by the noise she made, had grabbed him by his neck and thrown him out of the bed. He had kicked and beaten him the whole way to his cupboard and had locked the door to it after telling him not to do that again, ever. The next morning Harry had had bruises everywhere, his neck and back hurt like hell and he wasn't allowed to leave his cupboard for two weeks. He had learned his lesson.  
  
But he was at Hogwarts now, away from the Dursleys and happy for the first time he could think of, as happy as he could be with finally knowing the truth about his nightmares, his parents and Voldemort.  
  
As he woke up something didn't feel right, there was someone in his bed next to him, awkwardly petting his shoulder and whispering "It's ok". It was Rons voice and he turned his head to the source of it, not able to really see anything in the dim moonlight without his glasses.  
  
He looked at Ron or rather in his general direction with a questionate gaze and whispered back in a hoarse, sleepy voice "What's up, why're you here?"  
  
"I heard you screaming." Came as answer. "I thought you had a nightmare, when I have one my mum comes and hugs me until I'm asleep again, so I thought you maybe need one too, a hug I mean."  
  
"I don't know." Harry answered, he couldn't remember ever being hugged, so he didn't know if he needed to be, but when it made Ron feel better after a bad dream, maybe it would help him too. "Err, okay thanks." He added.  
  
Ron put his arms around him, hands coming to rest on his back. It felt a bit awkward at first, as Harry put his hands on Rons back, he didn't know if he should put them there, how one was supposed to hug one's best friend, but Ron didn't seem to mind so he should have done it right, or not entirely false. He began to relax into the embrace and it felt really nice. Ron was warm, his hair slightly tickling on his neck where Rons head rested and he smelled good, like peppermint toothpaste and soap. Harry noticed that he really liked being hugged, it felt like being not alone anymore, being save. He really enjoyed the feeling.

"Thank you." He whispered to Ron.

"It's okay, mate." Ron answered smiling. "You're welcome, but now go back to sleep, we wouldn't want to be late for double Potions with the greasy git, now would we?"

Harry smiled back "Not if we can avoid it"  
  
He closed his eyes, feeling better than ever. For the first time the boy- who-lived slept with a smile on his face.  
  
The End


End file.
